brrfandomcom-20200214-history
TLDT c04s01
Text Scrivener Blooms was getting used to life in Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle seemed glad for it... almost too glad, Scrivy thought sometimes, but he attributed that to his paranoia and anxiety. After all, it wasn't like Ponyville was providing him with some magic cure... but it was definitely helping, and definitely a far better place for him to be than the asylum he'd been locked away in. One thing that gnawed constantly at Scrivener's nerves, however, was the fact that the more he talked to Twilight's friends and walked around Ponyville, the more it made him wonder whether or not he was insane. After all, here were so many characters he had written about, but none of whom were the same in his stories, his delusions, as they were in this layer... and even though he continued to excuse that by arguing with himself that he was probably from a different layer of reality anyway, it did little to comfort him or convince him he really was. So he took his medication, kept track of things, and did his best to avoid letting himself get too worked up over memories and nightmares. Twilight helped a lot with that, though, and the two had come to depend on each other more than a little. They spent most of their time together in the library, and Twilight walked with him when he had to go out and sometimes even came out to see him while he was on break at Sweet Apple Acres... not because of her promise to keep an eye on him, but because she simply wanted to. Twilight had changed a little, too: she had gotten Rarity to cut her mane and tail shorter, giving her a more rugged look, and she was a little more outspoken, a little more direct these days. Scrivener wondered a little what was going on with her, but he hadn't said anything about it to her: partly because he wasn't sure if he approved or not himself. "Stupid everything." Scrivener muttered as he reared back and firmly kicked a tree, and then he winced when an apple clunked off his head, groaning in irritation as he looked over his shoulder and saw that the other apples that had fallen from the tree had landed everywhere but the baskets. Meanwhile, just across one of the dusty paths leading through the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac calmly bucked another tree... and the apples somehow magically fell perfectly into the baskets, the red stallion looking up and giving an amiable smile to Scrivener before he hitched the tubs of apples to his sides to carry off to storage. "Oh. Damnation." Scrivener grumbled, one of Luna's favorite curses... and he halted for a moment at the thought of her, looking away with a quiet sigh as a shiver ran down his spine. Luna... what am I supposed to do without you? I know it's been years, but it only feels like... like I'm just now processing that... you're not here. "And I suppose being insane doesn't help at all." remarked a voice so calmly, so casually, that Scrivener only sighed and nodded in agreement... then he looked sharply up, just in time to catch some tall shape striding calmly away through the trees, and Scrivener's mouth went dry before he hurriedly stumbled away from the apple tree and ran quickly after the shape. He opened his mouth to call out, but no sound came out as he lunged through a bush... yet the figure was far ahead already, heading towards the edge of the property. All Scrivener knew was that it wasn't a pony, and he lunged after it, looking up at the sky with a wince. The sun was setting, and the world was alight with a red pall that made the swaying grasses seem like fire; soon darkness would fall, and the only thing he was sure of was that while he was still preferred the night... it was no longer his domain. Not without his warrior princess by his side... He shivered and shook his head, tearing after the creature through the field, not knowing why it was so important... and yet every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of his body ached with a need to find this thing. It made his head boil with a feeling he hadn't felt in years, since before he had awoken, raving and lunatic, in the insane asylum to discover that everything he had ever thought was real was just maddened delusion... No... no, it is real. It is real! Scrivener thought desperately, shivering once as he ran onwards. I'm not insane... I'm not insane... and if there really are other things out there in the world, if... if something really is there... He shook his head hurriedly as he stumbled around a large tree and into a clearing, and he finally staggered to a halt as he looked back and forth almost desperately. Red had turned to gray-violet, a poisonous dusk settling over the world as Scrivener trembled a little, looking slowly back and forth. An abandoned, broken-down cart piled high with debris cast ghostly shadows over the field, and the trees all around the clearing seemed to loom almost hungrily over the earth pony as he breathed slowly in and out. The sky above was bruised and bleeding dry of color, and the little light there was reflected eerily off the broken chicken-wire and metal fencing that had mostly degraded away. Some old rope lay discarded near this, making Scrivener think of snakes and worms and intestines... Scrivener shivered and shook himself out hurriedly, breathing hard as he looked back and forth for any sign of where the creature might have gone... and then he looked up sharply as a familiar voice whispered: "Scrivener Blooms?" Scrivener's mouth went dry and his eyes widened as a figure hesitantly, carefully emerged from around the wagon, and a tremble ran through him as the sapphire mare slowly rose her head, starry locks swaying slowly backwards as she gazed across at him tenderly. Slowly, the earth pony took a staggering step forwards, breathing harder as a smile spread over his face and his eyes brightened, and Luna smiled faintly in return as she stepped towards him, whispering: "There you are..." Scrivener's smile widened as his eyes locked with her green-tinted irises, gazing deep into them as he hurried towards her. "Luna! Luna, I... I knew you were alive, I knew I wasn't insane... Luna!" Scrivener all-but charged into her, and Luna laughed as she was almost knocked off her hooves, the two embracing fiercely as she pressed herself close with a bright smile. The earth pony was trembling hard, tears leaking from his eyes as he clung to her desperately, before she murmured: "I'm here, Scrivener. All for you... I love you..." "I..." Scrivener's breath caught in his throat, even as he continued to hold her tightly... but as his body stiffened slightly, he felt it. Her skin, so familiar to him, had a texture he didn't recognize... her eyes were greener than he remembered, her features prettier... but most of all... He shoved himself backwards and away from her, and Luna stumbled in surprise, looking hurt as the two stared at each other... before slowly, a snarl spread over Scrivener's features as he rasped: "You're not Luna..." "I could be." whispered the creature, and then its eyes flashed, turning a brighter green as pupils expanded into dark slits, the pony-shaped entity giving a sultry smile as it leaned towards him and said kindly: "Come on, Scrivener Blooms. I can give you back your lost love. And nothing is sweeter than love renewed... we can both get what we want. You can have your princess back, and I get to infiltrate Canterlot for my queen... and I'll be her for you, Scrivener. I'll be her in every way... and better. I can do all the things for you she never would... I can make my body as beautiful as you want, as different as you want. And I can be your Luna, and cradle you and comfort you and love you just like you desire..." Scrivener was only staring, his breathing growing harsher as his heart thudded in his chest. The sound of it was drowning out almost everything else as his mind twisted and emotions sent spikes through his heart and brain, the earth pony trembling before he whispered again: "You're not Luna." "I'm the closest thing you'll ever have to getting her back." the creature replied, and then, as it stepped forwards, its body glowed before shedding the shape of Luna, revealing the chitinous Changeling beneath the glammer. It grinned at him, insectile wings buzzing once at its side as its tall and twisted horn gave a sickening green glow, long, strong, and holey limbs striding easily over the ground as it walked towards him, flicking its ragged blue mane as its eyes continued to look coldly down into his. "You should feel honored, pony. I'm of the royal family, very close to the Queen herself. Here I am, offering to do things peacefully with you, since among the delicious love there's so much bitter and powerful hatred for your own kind... but if you insist, we can do this the hard way." She leaned down, her eyes and horn glowing as she locked gazes with Scrivener, and the charcoal earth pony gasped and twitched, his own eyes beginning to glow as he felt alien thoughts intrude through his mind. Claws shredded his thoughts and seized his writhing emotions, and Scrivener yelled as he shook himself back and forth before the Changeling whispered: "Give in, earth pony. I'm trying to give you what you desire, after all... and you'll love me more than you ever loved precious little Princess Luna..." Scrivener snarled as something in his mind cracked, and then he howled like an animal, startling the Changeling as he felt her mental grip loosen slightly before he dove forwards and tackled her onto her back. The two growled like beasts, rolling together before the Changeling bared her fangs and bit savagely into Scrivener's shoulder, and the earth pony howled before smashing a hoof into her face. It knocked her backwards with a hiss even as she wrenched her fangs through Scrivener's flesh, leaving a deep, ugly wound as she leapt away and the earth pony howled and clutched at the bloody injury. She was on her hooves in moments, leaning forwards as Scrivener scrambled up a moment later, only to take a blast of green energy to the face that scalded his cheek and made his eye water... but he only glared in fury as he lunged towards her, and the Changeling's eyes widened before she leapt backwards, flapping her wings to take to the air. Scrivener leapt upwards and clawed at her almost wildly with his front hooves, and the Changeling snarled in contempt as she easily weaved backwards to avoid him before diving straight down and crashing into Scrivener's head and shoulders, driving him to the ground. She leapt off him and then growled in frustration, her eyes glowing as she hissed: "Don't make me rip your mind ap-" Her mental claws ripped through Scrivener's mind, but just as she began to seize into his thoughts, hoping to take control, Scrivener's emotions tore up in a flurry as he arched his back with another bestial howl... and this time, it was accompanied by an onslaught of terrible images, the Changeling gasping, then shrieking in surprise as she saw some monstrous, terrible entity lunging at her, hurriedly yanking herself free of the mental link. She stumbled in shock, and Scrivener charged forwards, almost foaming at the jaws as he tackled her again and shoved her down to the ground. The Changeling hissed, then screamed when Scrivener's hoof smashed down again and again into her face, strength backed by madness and emotion and indescribable fury as dark blood splattered up from the creature. She slammed her front legs up against him as she shrieked and spasmed beneath him, and Scrivener cursed as he rocked back and forth before half-falling to the side as she finally managed to shove him off. The Changeling snarled in rage, almost sinuous as she pounced immediately on Scrivener and snapped her jaws at him, the earth pony dodging the first bite before he brought a foreleg up when her fangs descended towards his face again. Her teeth ripped into his foreleg, making him howl in pain as he sprawled backwards, a hoof hitting against the side of the decrepit wagon. The Changeling bore down hard, snarling and crushing his foreleg in her jaws, her eyes glowing with her rage as Scrivener simply fought to push back against her as her hooves pinned him. Her eyes glared down into his, and the earth pony turned his gaze away with another cry of pain as he felt his bones beginning to fracture, rear legs kicking uselessly at the air before his eyes locked on a nearby rock, and he stretched desperately for this... The Changeling slammed her hooves down against him, forcing him to half-roll onto his back even as Scrivener made a wild swipe for the stone... and the moment he felt his hoof cup it, he brought it swinging up and smashing into the side of the Changeling's face, making her squeal as her teeth rattled free from where they were buried in Scrivener's limb before he slammed the rock into her temple again, and this time knocked her sprawling. She looked dazed as she slowly began to crawl her way up to her hooves... and then Scrivener hammered the rock into her head again and knocked her flat, her skull cracked and bleeding, drool spilling from her bloody jaws as the charcoal stallion tossed the stone away. His breath rasped in and out as his eyes almost glowed it fury, bleeding heavily from the deep wounds in his leg and shoulder and yet barely feeling them as his head twitched violently once and his eyes locked on the Changeling. He snarled down at her, grinding his teeth together as his eyes glowed with fury at what the Changeling had dared to do... pretend it was Luna, make him forget Luna, make him love her like Luna... Luna, Luna, Luna Luna Luna Luna... Scrivener stepped forwards, raising the rock... and then he trembled once before throwing it aside as he grasped at his face, turning his head aside, feeling his emotions writhing wildly inside him as memories, images, and delusions screamed their way through his tortured brain before he grinned widely as his eyes locked on the rope, feeling a twitch run through him as his conscience fell and his darkness rose. He turned to quickly pick up the dirty but still-strong coils, hurriedly twisting it into an all-too-familiar shape as the Changeling rasped weakly on the ground before beginning to stir. As it began to finally raise its head, some semblance of sense starting to return to the battered Changeling's features, something flicked over its head and then pulled taut around its neck. The Changeling gargled in surprise, eyes bulging in shock before Scrivener threw the other end of the rope up over the thick bough of a tree, seizing the loose end with a snarl as he began to haul upwards hoof-over-hoof, breathing hard as the Changeling tried to scream... but the tight noose cinched around its throat cut its cry down to a strangled wheeze as it was hefted into the air, hooves clawing against the ground for a moment before it was yanked off the ground. Scrivener snarled up at it, features twisting into a grin as his eyes blazed with fury, frustration, and misery, watching as the Changeling was hauled higher and higher as it tried to flap its wings, to get its hooves under it, to suck down a single breath. But it was already suspended with its rear hooves a few feet off the ground, body unable to get the lift it needed as its wings flapped uselessly while it convulsed in the air. Scrivener yanked the rope to the side, tying it off against one jagged wooden arm of the wagon to keep the Changeling aloft as he leaned forwards and yelled at it furiously: "Do you really think you have anything you can offer me? That you vampires have any notion of what love really is, apart from what you pathetic, drudging scum sustain yourselves with? Blasted and worthless monster! Let me tell you about love!" The earth pony was barely aware of what he was doing as he stormed over to the broken fencing, mind sparking, eyes wild as he seized a loose metal post and began to yank on it, shouting at the same time in a furious voice that tore through the unearthly dusk: "How now is it that I taste still her kisses on these dead lips, and there she lay looking so alluring even in her bed of dust and ash..." Scrivener ripped the post free, then he turned around just as the choking Changeling managed to make itself hover, started to ascend... before, with a sick, painful splat, Scrivener slammed the metal fencepost into its belly, and the Changeling shrieked and spasmed before the cry of pain was cut off into gargling as it fell limp again and dangled from the noose. And again and again, the fencepost slammed into the broken body of the bug-like creature, hammering into its form, crashing against its limbs as its blood splattered over Scrivener's features as he howled loudly over the sounds of its torment: "Oh how I long for her and love her! Sweet soulmate, I still see you in that pallid body, so perfect now and flawless and unchanging in your death... oh beloved, you lay there so coyly, as if you await me to crawl into your eternal embrace, to join you in the comforts of your coffin, waiting to make sacred again our love!" The metal post descended again, again, again, clubbing, crushing, smashing, and the Changeling could only gargle as all sense left its rolling eyes, as it twitched only weakly with every impact as foam and blood dripped from its jaws, swaying limply as Scrivener shouted as tears rolled down his cheeks and mixed with the blood and sweat on his face: "How I long for and adore you, my eternal companion, and nothing shall ever take you from me... your spirit has left your body, but I shall cradle it in my embrace, smell your hair, taste your cold-lipped kisses, until I too decay with you... and for forevermore we'll be together, my beloved, closer in death than we were alive, and... and... and..." The post slammed into the Changeling's body, and Scrivener breathed hard, leaning forwards, both front hooves gripping it tightly as he dropped his head forwards, tears streaming down his muzzle. He rasped in and out, a wave of nausea and dizziness passing through him as he felt something come undone in his mind before he slowly looked up, trembling, shivering, staring up into the dead eyes of the broken Changeling... and then he finally let his hooves drop from the post, leaving it imbedded in the crushed-in chest of the creature as he stumbled backwards and whispered: "And we'll be happy for all eternity, leaving behind mortal woe and serpentine sins in our rotten mortal forms. Oh... oh Luna..." Scrivener stumbled backwards again and sat back on his haunches, and then he slowly looked over his shoulder as he realized he wasn't alone. Behind him, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Big Mac and a few other ponies that were blurry in his vision were all staring with horror at what he'd done, and slowly, Scrivener licked his lips, tasting drying blood as he rasped in and out of his parched throat before whispering: "She... I... she upset me..." "Oh g-g-god..." Applejack moaned weakly, shivering violently and shaking her head wildly, and as Scrivener slowly began to stand up, she stumbled backwards as Rainbow only stared and trembled violently, and Big Mac stepped forwards, gritting his teeth... but he looked almost as scared as the others. Scrivener studied them for a moment, feeling hurt and yet detached from everything before a pony shoved past the others and ran towards him. Twilight skidded to a stop in front of him, and Scrivener studied her for a moment as he looked back at her: she was breathing hard enough to stretch the material of the simple vest she was wearing, trembling beneath her trimmed locks before she almost whispered: "Oh Horses of Heaven... I... somepony, please! Get a doctor! Why isn't anypony helping him?" "Twi... Twilight... get away from him, he's... he's dangerous..." whispered a voice from the crowd, but Scrivener didn't recognize who it was as he looked slowly back and forth. Twilight glared over her shoulder at the speaker, tears filling her eyes before she returned her gaze to Scrivener, her horn glowing, and the stallion groaned quietly as he felt her trying to heal his wounds. He trembled, bowing his head forwards, closing his eyes as he felt pieces of his sanity falling away, heard laughter and screaming and panicking, heard questions being asked by countless voices. He did his best to respond to the last... but it was only after he finally opened his eyes that he realized he hadn't been talking to anyone... and that somehow, he'd gone from the apple orchard, to sitting in a jail cell. He leaned forwards a bit, reaching up to touch his shoulder, and he glanced to the side in surprise: it was bandaged, but... he had no memory of anything. Just... Twilight, closing his eyes, and then all the voices and... and... I... don't know what happened... Scrivener rocked slowly back and forth in the cell, breathing harder as anxiety ripped through his mind. They were out there, judging him... no, no, they weren't in the process of that. They had already done that, and had locked him up. Here, alone in this cell, as he looked back and forth at bleak stone, felt like the walls were closing in around him as he shivered hard and then hugged himself, lungs aching and heart thudding. He was alone, they were abandoning him, shipping him back to the facility, he'd be alone forever, he'd killed the monster but oh no, oh no, they knew that the real monster was him and they had to lock him up, up, up... Stop it! he shouted desperately in his own mind, some lucid part of him struggling through the fog of madness before he gritted his teeth and slammed a hoof up into his own wounded shoulder. The agony it sent through him was indescribable, his entire body stiffening up as he whimpered faintly... but it also drove away everything except for the pain. Scrivener concentrated on the agony, feeling it out, using it to judge how hurt he was before it began to fade slowly from a blaring siren to a slow pulse. He shivered a bit, and then settled himself little-by-little as he made his mind focus on what his body was telling him now: how as the major pain faded, he felt the outline, the edges of the wound rubbing against the bandages, he felt the sore and torn muscles, the numbness in his foreleg, the shivers in his body... Then he twitched and looked up as there was a loud bang to stare out and see a police officer sitting outside his cell, frowning in at him. But beside him was Twilight Sparkle, and the charcoal stallion gave a weak smile to the violet unicorn, bowing his head towards her as he whispered: "Sorry, Twilight. I guess... this might get you in trouble, huh?" "Oh thank Celestia... Scrivener, I'm... I..." Twilight trembled a bit, then she smiled weakly and glanced at the sheriff, murmuring: "See? I told you so. He just... needed to calm down and... I'm going to take him now." "I... alright." The police pony sighed after a moment, nodding hesitantly before he pulled a key off his belt, then reached up and slipped it into the lock. He pushed the door open after a moment, and Scrivener carefully stood up before grimacing and flinching at the pain that went through him from his shoulder and bandaged foreleg, the officer saying quietly: "You stay out of trouble now, hear?" "Yeah. I'll try my best." Scrivener mumbled halfheartedly, and the officer looked at him for a few moments before he shook his head and turned to leave as Scrivener carefully dragged himself forwards. He glanced up at Twilight, and the two looked at each other before she trembled for a second, then stepped forwards and hugged him fiercely. He returned the embrace after almost a full minute had passed with his good leg, breathing hard before she finally murmured: "Come on, Scrivy. Let's take you home. You... you stupid, stupid idiot..." "That's me." Scrivener murmured softly, and Twilight sighed a little before she hesitantly drew back, and the two studied each other for a few moments before the violet unicorn finally turned to lead him out of the building and back home. It was late... by Scrivener's estimate, three in the morning. Still, there were a few ponies up that stared at him from their windows as he passed... not something that helped his paranoia, as he tried to keep his head down and plodded after Twilight in silence. When they reached the library, he was unsurprised to find the lights burning inside but no sign that Spike was here. Twilight had likely sent the baby dragon off somewhere... And then the violet mare rounded on him the moment the door closed, and she whispered: "Scrivener, what the hell were you thinking? You... Applejack told me what you did to that Changeling. Said you were screaming about something as you... you beat it to death..." Scrivener closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards and only shrugging slowly in response... before he opened them in surprise when Twilight's hooves touched his shoulders, the mare leaning in close and whispering softly: "No. No, don't shut me out, Scrivy. Please... I... I was so scared for you. You frightened a lot of ponies, Scrivy... you... you killed it in front of them, without even listening to anyone..." "I... I didn't hear them. I didn't even see them until... afterwards." Scrivener murmured in surprise, glancing up as a shiver rolled down his spine. "The Changeling it... Twilight, it became Luna, it tried to make me... desecrate her memory, it... taunted me and I got... I got mad..." "You got mad... Scrivener... that's not going to cut it." Twilight said in a harsher voice than she intended, even as her eyes stared at him with worry and unshed tears. "Scrivy, what do you think is going to happen when they ask you about this in Canterlot, because they undoubtedly are going to bring this up at your appointment in a few days, and you're only able to tell them that 'you got mad?'" "I don't know." Scrivener clenched his eyed shut, dropping his head forwards before he laughed weakly. "No, I... I do know. They're going to lock me up again. Say that I'm a danger to society or something, even though... I was just defending myself from the Changeling..." "That didn't look like self-defense, Scrivener. That looked like butchery." Twilight said quietly, and Scrivener opened his eyes and glared at her, but she only looked silently back at him, reaching up and touching his face with a hoof as she whispered: "Scrivener, I... I never imagined you were capable of that, that's all. I'm trying to wrap my head around things and I... I don't... I don't want them to take you away from me..." Scrivener quieted at this, the two looking at each other silently before he reached up and slowly ran his hoof through her short, almost spiked-back mane, asking quietly: "Why did you do this?" Twilight smiled faintly, then she reached up and took his front hoof gently in both of his before quietly kissing it as an answer to his question, and Scrivener closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards with a slow nod. For a few moments, they were silent, and then Scrivener sighed softly as he murmured quietly: "I'm sorry that I'm... I'm not who you thought I was." "No..." Twilight looked up into his eyes quietly, and when Scrivener gazed back at her silently, she reached one hoof up to slowly stroke over the scarred side of his face. "You're not. But Scrivener... you're also not... not, if you know what I mean. You're you... and I'm me... and... and I..." She leaned in a little closer, and Scrivener breathed a bit harder before her hoof slipped slowly down, resting on his shoulder... and then he winced and cursed in pain as she pressed a bit too hard on the bandaging, and Twilight blushed deeply, sitting hurriedly back as she shook her head and murmured awkwardly: "Sorry, Scrivy. I... look, you need to rest. Come on, let's get you in bed." "I..." Scrivener was quiet for a moment, and when Twilight looked up at him, he hesitated before asking quietly: "Will you... stay up with me for a little while, instead? I just... I could use the company. Just for a little while." Twilight smiled faintly at this, nodding slowly to him, and Scrivener gave a small smile in return after a moment as he felt a flutter run through his mind before he whispered softly: "Thank you." Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story